History & Stats

When was the CFTC Whistleblower Program created?

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission Whistleblower Program was created in 2010 by the Dodd-Frank Act in order to encourage those with non-public knowledge of Commodity Exchange Act violations to come forward and report those violations.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission Whistleblower Program went into effect on July 21, 2010, when President Obama signed into law the “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.” The CFTC Whistleblower Program pays financial awards to those who properly report and provide information to the CFTC that result in actions that levy at least $1 million in monetary sanctions. The law governing the CFTC Whistleblower Program also prohibits retaliation by employers against employees who provide the CFTC with information about possible violations, or who assist the CFTC in investigations or proceeding based on such information.The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Whistleblower Office was created by section 748 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) and provides incentives to whistleblowers that voluntarily provide original information about fraud and misconduct in the commodities trading markets.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission Whistleblower Program issued its first award on May 20, 2014. The whistleblower, who remains unnamed, will receive $240,000 for providing information concerning numerous violations of the Commodity Exchange Act.

In addition, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission provides Case Status Reports to inform the public about ongoing legal cases brought against defendants accused of committing futures trading violations. See below: